Improvement in toy gymnasts



I 21Sheets-Sheet1f R, A. SMITH. TOY ammsws.

Patented Jan. 4, 1876.

fill/entan- %W Wimesses:

MFETERS, PNOTO LITHOGRAPH UNITED STATES PATENT Orrlon.

v REUBEN A. SMITH, OF EAST WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOY GVMNASTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,703, dated January4, 1876; application filed March 6, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN A. SMITH, of East Weare, county ofHillsborough, State of New Hampshire, have invented certain Improvementsin Toys, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exactdescription as will enable others skilled in the art to make and use thesame, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the toy complete. Figs. 2 and 3 arefront views of a portion of the device, showing the arrangement of thecords attached to the arms of the figures, and by which they areoperated. Fig. 4 represents the platform which separates the sidelevers, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the toy upon an enlarged scale.

This invention relates to that class of toys called acrobats orgymnasts, which consist of caricatured figures of persons, the limbsbeing freely jointed to the body, and the figure caused to performsomersaults and other evolutions through the agency of certain cords andother devices, to which they are attached; and the invention consists inthe construction and arrangement of the parts, as will be hereinafterfully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, A represents a platform of wood or other suitablematerial, which serves as a support for the acrobats when in a standingposition, and is provided upon its opposite sides with recesses a, intowhich are loosely fitted the side levers B B by cutting gains in theiropposite sides at the point It. These levers are made slightly taperingtoward their upper ends, and, in operating the toy, perform the functionof levers of the first order, with their fulcrum at the points ofjunction with the table A. Near their upper ends are cut notches, whichserve to receive and retain in position the cords c c, by which thefigures are operated. These figures D are formed from thin pieces ofwood, pasteboard, or similar light material, the body and limbs being ofany fanciful outline, and connected to each other by means of the rivetsb, which pass through the parts, and. upon which they revolve loosely.Between the arms and body,

at the shoulders, are interposed the washers d, which keep the arms atsuch a distance from each other as to allow the legs and body ofthefigure to pass between them in vaulting and performing their variousemlutions.

The ends or hands of the arms 0 are provided with three notches for thereception of the two parts of the cord 0, the cords in passing thembeing'separated to as great a distance as their breadth will allow, andsecured in the notches by taking a turn around a portion of the hand,and through a central notch, and

then being more firmly secured therein by glue; but in passing thecentral arms f the cords are simply passed through a small round orificetherein, and thence through the washer 9, thus causing the cord to forma bar or center, upon which the figures turn in their gyrations.

It will be seen that the position of the cords where they are attachedto the side levers B is such that, no matter which side of the platformthe figures may be resting upon, they will always have a half-turnbetween the arms and the side levers. This arrangement'of the parts willbe clearly understood by an inspection of Fig. 3. After having performedtheir office as a vaulting-bar for the figures, they may pass down thesides of the side levers B, and through holes therein below theplatform, as shown at 2', thus forming a stay for the purpose ofretaining the parts in their proper relation to each other; or, ifdesired, a separate cord may be used for this purpose, having a knot ateach end.

The operation of the device is as follows: The toy being held in thehand, as shown in Fig. 1, pressure from the thumb and fingers will causethe lower ends of the side levers to approach each other, and thus theirlever-like action upon the platform A, which forms the fulcrum, expandstheir upper extremities, producing a strain upon the cords, which in itsendeavor to straighten the half-turn between the side levers and thearms of the figures, cause the latter to spring or vault upward by theiraction upon the outer arms 6, the central arms f remaining passiveexcept so far as to furnish a steady central support for the revolvingfigure, and their positions may be varied at will by the degree ofpressure applied,

thus causing them to assume a great varietyofiludicrouslandmirth-provoking positions. Iain aware thata patent has beengranted to Jacob Schroennesen, hearing date July 11,

1872, being No. 127,927, for an arrangement.

of devices for causing a single figure to perform variousmovements; but.thisFIrlo lnot I claim, as in iny device aplatform is used, upon whichthe figures may rest, and the cords are passed through but one l of thehands of the figure, allowing the figures to revolve upon a steadycentral point, which performs the function of: the ordinaryvaulting-bar.

I therefore claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, thefollowing:

The figures D, provided with the perforated arms f and notched arms e,in combination with the central washer g, cordsc, side levers B, andplatform A, all constructed and are ranged to operate substantially asand for the purpose specified.

'In testimony. that I claim theiforegoing I hereunto aflix my signaturein the presence of two witnesses this 5th day of March, 1875.

REUBEN A. SMITH.

Witnesses M. P. HARWOOD,

M. K. CHANDLER.

